Alfred Stevens (1823 – 1906) was a Belgian painter was the son of an art collector. He developed a conventional naturalistic style influenced by 17th century Dutch genre painting. He also studied works by painters such as Gerard ter Borch and Gabriel Metsu. He influenced social attitudes towards the poor with a work titled What is called Vagrancy. Many of his works use elegant modern woman as subjects. He also painted several works using a fashionable taste called japonisme which Stevens was an early enthusiast. Our pattern set collection contains many of Alfred Stevens most recognized works including The Bath, The Japanese Parisian, What is called Vagrancy, Portrait of Mrs. Howe, Woman in a Straw Hat, Woman Wearing a Bracelet, Reveil, Woman in Pink, New from Afar, and Lady at a Window Feeding Birds.

Elephants are large mammals living primarily in Africa and South Asia. There are two species which are recognized: the African elephant and the Asian elephant. Their distinct features include a long trunk, tucks, large ear flaps, and pillar-like legs. Their trunk serves many purposes including breathing, lifting water, and grasping objects. African elephants have a more grayish skin pigment, while Asian elephants have a more brownish pigment. Our Elephant pattern set includes many photographs of elephants in their nature settings standing in grassy fields, dirt roads, and reflecting in water ponds. There are a few baby elephant patterns and several detailed gray scale patterns.

For centuries, the world has seen France as a beacon of art. This reputation grows as major museums continue to open in the country's capital, Paris. At the opening of the greatly anticipated Picasso Museum the President of France, François Hollande, said France was "culturally shining." Unfortunately, the epicenter of the art world does not shine bright enough to cover some of France's political troubles.

For instance, the country's economic woes are no secret to the global news cycle. According to a New York Times article, "France's leadership is struggling to pay for the government it provides." This concerns the people of France who worry about what will happen if Paris becomes increasingly elite; will the country's capital become off-limits to those who live in the small cities, villages, and countryside?

Amazingly enough, some citizens see the bright side of potential political and economic strife. One national journalist points out that great art is created from seasons of turmoil.

Discovery of ancient art recently rocked Earth history. Until recently, the oldest cave art was thought to be in Europe. However, it was just announced that dating research has found cave art on an island in Indonesia to be 40,000-years-old.

Since cave art was thought to have originated in Europe around this time, subsequent cave art was thought to be a direct result of the European "Symbolic Explosion," as quoted in a Washington Post article. The Indonesia discovery turns this theory on its head, bringing up evidence that similar artistic expression developed in two places at the same time.

Equally fascinating is the subject matter of the cave art. 12 traces of human hands were found in seven different caves. This marks evolutionary activity since the art that predates Indonesian and European cave art consisted of geometric shapes carved into African stones over 50,000 years ago.

1) This French painter, sculptor and graphic artist was the founder of the synthetic style:

Paul Cezanne

Paul Gauguin

Claude Monet

Emile Bernard

2) This Dutch painter pioneered modern art with his use of sparkling brush strokes and clear colors:

Vincent Van Gogh

Jacob Jordaens

Piet Mondrian

Quentin Massys

3) This French impressionist used a lot of irony, hilarity and double-meaning contents in his paintings: (He was also lame and short.)

Henri Rousseau

Edouard Manet

Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Henri Toulouse-Lautrec

4) This Norwegian artist is best known for painting 'The Scream' (1893):

Johann Christian Dahl

Gustav Klimt

Christian Krohg

Edvard Munch

5) This Spanish artist, born in 1904 in Figueras, may be the most-known artist of surrealism:

Claudio Coello

Vicente Palmaroli Gonzalez

Salvador Dali

Pablo Picasso

Answer Key:

B

A

D

D

C

Alfred Stevens - A Life Immersed in Art

Defining Belgian artist Alfred Stevens (1823 - 1906) has always been a challenge. Throughout his career, the painter's artwork fulfilled styles seen in various movements, like Romanticism, Impressionism, and Realism. As his styles changed so did his subject matter; regal women, political scenes, and sea settings were among his many focal points. Perhaps the most profound constant in Stevens' life was art itself.

Alfred Stevens was introduced to art at an early age. His father and brothers were painters, art dealers, critics, or collectors. If he and his family members were not creating art they could be found discussing art at the café his grandparents owned. The establishment was always intended to be a place where artists could congregate.

At age 14, the young painter attended an art school where he developed drawing abilities. These skills preceded his enrollment in the influential Parisian art school, Ecolé de Beaux-Arts, where he may have studied the work of Dutch genre painters. This art style, known for portraying "scenes from everyday life," quickly launched Stevens into fame.

After four years of publically displaying his work, Alfred Stevens painted Ce qu'on appelle le vagabondage (translated to What is called vagrancy) which got the attention of the Emperor at the 1855 Universal Exhibition. After viewing the piece of art depicting Parisian soldiers leading an impoverished mother and her children to prison while signs of wealth shroud the scene, Napoleon III enacted political changes.

Shortly after this, in 1857, Alfred Stevens returned to his favorite subject matter: women in fashion. One decade later, by the time the Great Exhibition of 1867 arrived, paintings like Woman in Pink, Miss Fauvette, Ophelia, and In the Country were added to his portfolio.

His career was postponed in 1870 when he fought in the Franco-Prussian War. When the war was over, he continued to paint. In 1878 he was elected Commander of the Legion of Honor. (He received a Legion of Honor award 15 years earlier.) He also received a medal from the prestigious Paris Salon the same year.

Despite his acclaimed portfolio and notoriety throughout France, Alfred Stevens experienced significant financial troubles in the 1880s. Serendipitously, this struggle would catapult Stevens into a new art style. Falling on hard times was exacerbated by unrelated health concerns. Even though his diagnosis was never known, the prescription that surfaced proclaims a doctor ordered Stevens to vacation by the sea. For three years, vacations were funded by a Parisian art dealer who accepted the artwork Stevens created as an even exchange. This is how sea settings began to appear in Stevens' artwork. Nevertheless, Alfred Stevens had a few more genre paintings in him.

The pinnacle of Alfred Stevens' late career was Panorama du Siècle. Painted alongside Henri Gervex and other assistants, the masterpiece received many accolades at the 1889 International Exhibit.

Stevens was often honored in the final years of his life. In 1900 his alma mater, Ecolé de Beaux-Arts, ushered his name into history as the first living artist to receive a retrospective exhibit. Other honorary exhibits sold Stevens' work but did not provide him with enough money to live the rest of his years comfortably. Alfred Stevens passed away in 1906. His most valuable assets were works of art already in circulation.

Alfred Stevens left the art world with a rich and lasting legacy. His artistic talents evolved throughout his career. He produced numerous paintings that fit different styles, genres, and artistic movements. In addition, he stirred politics with his honest portrayal of daily life in Paris and captured women of the era in latest fashions. Most importantly, Alfred Stevens paralleled the essence of art itself. Like art, Stevens was not always easy to define. Still, many art enthusiasts looked at him with awe; he was a man who lived his life fully immersed in art.

Red means stop and green means go. This has been true for some time and is widely accepted, probably because traffic signals reinforce this behavior on a daily basis. Now these colors are being used to determine if a human wound is healing or not. SMART bandages turn green when oxygen is flowing to wounds and red if oxygen is low.

This is important technology because wounds need sufficient amounts of oxygen to fully heal. However, until now, most bandages actually restrict oxygen flow and hide the healing process, leaving wounds susceptible to unseen complications. With this new “paint-on” translucent bandage, an individual and his or her physician can easily monitor the wound’s healing process.